Assessing the evidence base for behavioral health services: introduction to the series.

With this issue, Psychiatric Services launches a 14-article series evaluating the latest evidence for commonly used, recovery-focused services. As this introduction makes clear, the goal of the series, which was commissioned by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is to help state and local authorities choose which behavioral health services to include in health benefit packages. Among the topics that will be covered in the following months are behavior management for children and adolescents, methadone maintenance treatment, peer support services, trauma-focused cognitive-based therapy, and permanent supportive housing.